To educate a woman is to give her the tools to create a brighter future for herself and her family. Argentina is a nation known to be improving its gender equality; in fact, women currently fight for equal education and job opportunities to men. However, girls education in Argentina is an ongoing process, and women are still placed second to men in many situations. Here are the top 10 facts about girls’ education in Argentina.

Top 10 Facts About Girls Education in Argentina

Early marriage and household tasks are seen as common female roles in South America. Many girls stay at home and attend to the “domestic” jobs — around 10 percent of girls between the age of 15-24 are in charge of the home. However, it’s usually these young girls in the poorest sectors of Argentina who need education the most, but struggle to get it.

Young girls who live at home often receive little cash assistance and don’t have educational deficits. According to a report by the Observatory of Social Debt in Argentina, “19.1 percent have limitations to receiving education and 16.8 percent don’t even go to school.” These young girls who don’t go to school find themselves stuck in the cycle of poverty. As they get older, they frequently can’t find a job because of their lack of an educational background or previous job experience.

Early childbearing is an issue that causes young girls not to attend school. This is somewhat ironic, as girls who attend school are taught about sexual education and methods of prevention; as a result, early pregnancies are less likely to occur. Most often, those in ongoing poverty find themselves in these situations of early motherhood due to the lack of knowledge about pregnancy.

The prehistoric idea that men are more dominant than women prevails in the Argentine culture. There have been cases where a woman is discriminated against or even abused if she tries to defend her education. The Argentinian workforce still does not equally value men and women workers.

Women are seen often in the informal sphere — an area of the economy that is untaxed, unregulated and usually provides low-paying work. Although women might find jobs, they usually find themselves in these kinds of precarious workplaces.

Argentina had their first female president, Cristina Fernandez De Kirchner, from 2007 to 2015. She was seen as a female role model who empowered young girls and women to strive for higher-up positions and value getting an education.

One of the Millennial Goals in Argentina is to promote gender equality and empower women. When looking at this with regard to jobs, the goal strives to remove the “glass ceilings” that prevent women from being promoted to higher and better-paid positions, especially if women have the same education level as the men applying for the same job.

In March 2015, Michelle Obama created the Let Girls Learn initiative. This program brings together the Department of State, USAID, the Peace Corps, the U.S. Department of Labor, MCC and the U.S. president’s emergency fund for AIDS, and is a government-wide effort to help adolescent girls complete their education. A key part of the effort is to encourage and support community-led solutions and reduce any potential barriers that would prevent a young girl from getting an education. Since then, the group has worked with organizations like the World Bank, a global organization that in 2016 agreed to invest $2.5 billion over the next five years in education programs that directly benefit young girls.

Another event in 2015 was the movement “Ni Una Menos” or “Not One Less.” Social media made headlines when thousands of cities around the countries protested against the unfair treatment of women. The Not One Less group protested against the violence of women in Argentina in the workplace.

Women are now often getting equal or more education than men. When viewing the national statistics and census of Argentina, the INDEC mentions that the “society must have an equal distribution of educational opportunities among both genders on all levels.” In fact, according to statistics from UNICEF, women are seen attending school 2-3 percent more than men for all types of education. As a result, women should be given the same job opportunities if they’re working as hard or even harder than their male counterparts.

Acquiring a Female Future, One Woman At a Time

A lack of education is one of the core factors related to poverty — girls who are educated find themselves in better living situations. Although these were the top 10 facts about girls’ education in Argentina, there are plenty of other points of note where the women are restricted and want to strive for a better future. As Argentinian women continue to fight for a change, the future will hopefully become better for the younger generation.

Economic growth is one of the most powerful tools for reducing poverty, and a key driver of economic growth is investment. Argentina and Saudi Arabia, two countries that have committed to political and economic reforms in recent years, are hoping to spur investment from abroad. The announcement by MSCI, an equity index provider, to classify them as emerging markets has attracted sizable foreign investments to the two countries. But whether the capital flows support economic growth is still up for debate.

MSCI

MSCI created its Emerging Markets Index in 1998 and since then it has become a benchmark for investment in emerging markets. Many investment funds track the index by buying a similar composition of stocks. Therefore, when stocks are added to the index it inevitably prompts investment flows to increase in certain countries.

In late June, MSCI decided to add Argentina and Saudi Arabia to its emerging markets index. The decision is a result of the reform efforts in both countries. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman, is trying to shift the country from its oil dependency and increase social liberalization, including allowing women to drive while President Mauricio Macri of Argentina has sought to end disputes with international investors and remove barriers to capital entering and leaving the country.

The effects of their addition to the index may be profound. Some estimates predict approximately $3.5 billion and $40 billion of capital inflows into Argentina and Saudi Arabia respectively in the coming year. The inflows could lead to businesses in these two countries giving them cheaper access to credit that will further lead to more investments; thus boosting economic growth and productivity.

Poverty in Saudi Arabia and Argentina

The two countries are seeking to boost economic growth and stability by any means possible. Saudi Arabia’s economy contracted 0.7 percent in 2017, driven by lower oil prices. Argentina also had to turn to the International Monetary Fund for a $50 million line of credit after capital flight weakened its currency.

Given these countries’ extensive poverty, economic growth is needed for their governments to maintain its credibility. Argentina’s poverty rate is over 25 percent, and while there are no exact figures for poverty in Saudi Arabia, it is believed that almost four million people or approximately 12 percent of the population, live on less than $17 a day.

Do Capital Flows Support Economic Growth?

Do capital flows support economic growth in emerging markets? The answer to that is vague. Take Africa for instance. An economic study concerning private capital inflows found that capital flows had a detrimental effect on Africa’s economic growth in the absence of well-developed financial markets. Conversely, a research paper by the World Bank in 2015 found that capital inflows into Sub-Saharan Africa would have a positive effect on its economic growth. This study found, however, that the most effective type of capital inflow in boosting growth wasn’t private capital flows but aid.

The economic literature debating whether capital flows support economic growth is expansive and divisive. Therefore, increasing private capital flows to Argentina and Saudi Arabia may or may not be the answer to the economic instability plaguing the two countries. But both aid and private capital will continue to play an important role in the economic growth and futures of emerging markets.

Argentina is a nation known for its efforts towards gender equality. As a nation that has made progressive strides towards equal opportunity with the election of its first female president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in 2007, the nation stands as a model for the rest of the world for allowing more women to obtain positions of power.

The journey for any woman to obtain a position in the field of their choice starts when they’re a child. However, girls’ education in Argentina, and the process for women to have successful careers presents a complicated path.

Even though Argentina has a high literacy rate among its citizens and has many highly-educated women, cultural norms still subject women and girls to second-class status, and threaten their opportunity to obtain jobs in the field of their choice.

Education Equality: A Class Matter

Access to a quality primary education for girls in Argentina isn’t as much subjected to gender as much as it’s subjected to class. According to the Women News Network, Argentinian girls who come from the two poorest sectors of Argentinian society are more vulnerable to dropping out of school at an earlier age (due to limited resources).

The National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina, also known as INDEC, states that “society must have an equal distribution of educational opportunities among both genders on all levels.” As far as secondary education, women have been shown consecutively to be more highly educated.

The World Bank, as of the year 2016, posited that more women from middle- and higher-income households achieved a secondary education, compared to their male counterparts. However, more men from lower-income households had a secondary education compared to women.

Education Doesn’t Guarantee Equal Opportunity for Women

A cultural conflict that threatens the effectiveness of girls’ education in Argentina is Machisimo — a societal ideal that favors the dominance of men in Argentinean society. Due to the country’s traditional values, women are largely subjected to discrimination and even abuse when it comes to defending their educational rights.

The workforce is a sector of Argentinian society that still awaits progression to grant women as equal an opportunity for the job of their choice. According to the World Bank, as of the year 2016, men over the age of 15 had a 73 percent participation rate in the labor force, compared to 47 percent of women.

The Inter Press Service (IPS) states that even when Argentinian women do gain employment, often times it is in “informal and low productivity sectors.”

Voices of Change: Girls’ Education in Argentina

The plights women have endured in Argentinian society has created resistance from women and men ready to make their voices heard. The non-profit organization, Ni Una Menos (Not One Less), developed after citizens started collaborating to protest against Machisimo. The organization has since taken its message to the forefront of Argentinian society to advocate for women’s rights and protection against violence.

As Argentinian women continue to advocate for change in their societies, it remains a possibility that as more laws are implemented to protect women’s rights, a more promising future for the younger generations can be ensured. This future would guarantee that girls education in Argentina isn’t futile.

Due to its growth rate and efficacy, economic development in Argentina has been the focus of many studies and analysis over the past few years. In fact, data shows that economic expansion — as that seen in Argentina — is characterized by solid signs of recovery in the domestic economy after years of decline, and declining unemployment and robust industrial production.

Predictions Regarding Economic Health in Argentina

Recent data also forecasts a positive and steady growth rate for the first quarter of 2018 in Argentina, and that economic activity marked a high peak in January, with industrial output soaring in February.

The economy is expected to enjoy a solid growth rate in the next couple of years with strong private consumption and a steady expansion in fixed investment serving as the key factors towards such economic development in Argentina. The monetary sector and trade balance, however, have been experiencing a negative record of fourteen months deficit. Moreover, weaker currency and high inflation will play a significant role in taming private consumption growth.

More specifically, inflation in the first quarter of 2018 also remained untamed, implying that Argentina’s external debt commitments will continue to grow in the coming months — especially considering the galloping public spending the country has to fund.

FocusEconomics experts see the economy expanding to 2.6 percent in 2018, which represents a 0.2 percent decrease compared to last month’s forecast; for 2019, growth is expected to reach 3.2 percent.

Improvements in Economic Development

Economic development in Argentina has also helped remedy economic and social distress. The poverty rate fell, for instance, 1.7 percent in the first half of 2017 from the second half of 2016. This outcome acts as a clear sign of the success and impact of President Mauricio Macri’s austerity and recently-enacted measures.

Since taking office in 2015, Macri has worked towards the implementation of market-friendly policies designed to cut the fiscal deficit and draw more foreign investment. Some of those policies, such as a sharp reduction in subsidies for electricity and gas, are deemed quite drastic by some and contributed to inflation of more than 40 percent last year and high tariffs.

However, the data from Indec statistics agency showed that in early 2017, 28.6 percent of Argentines were living in poverty, which is down from 30.3 percent in the last six months of 2016.

Decrease in Poverty

The same data also shows that the percentage of households living below the poverty line went from 21.5 percent in 2016 to 17.9 percent by the end of 2017. The extreme poverty rate for the second half of 2017 was 4.8 percent, which also represents an improvement from the 6.2 percent in the previous six months and the 6.1 percent from the end of 2016.

Macri’s government began publishing poverty statistics a year ago for the first time since October 2013, and the lower poverty rate and economic expansion, notwithstanding some fiscal and financial hiccups, are signs that Argentina is steadily recovering from its 2017 recession period.

Aid to foreign countries is essential to help maintain stability and reduce poverty in countries that are struggling to achieve those goals on their own. However, foreign aid also benefits the United States: it increases national security, can expand the U.S. economy and help develop a relationship with a strategic ally.

Globally, each year the United States gives about $30 billion in foreign aid, a seemingly large number that actually amounts to only about 1 percent of the federal budget. Argentina is one recipient of money allotted in that budget, and there are numerous U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Argentina. In 2016, U.S. agencies gave $2.6 million in aid to Argentina, with half of the money coming from the Department of State.

According to the Department of State, U.S. foreign aid to Argentina works to increase stability and democracy, as well as increase support for non-proliferation and border security. Through aid and U.S. officials, the United States has established programs to train law enforcement and justice officials in Argentina. These programs increase Argentina’s ability to promote shared security interests, which is a benefit to the U.S.

The U.S. government is also working with Argentina to focus on peacekeeping and disaster preparedness. Further agreements between the countries are working to increase the shared knowledge between the U.S. and Argentina to improve security. These programs will enhance stability in Argentina and the broader region, and increase both travel security and border security in Argentina.

In addition to government aid, many United States corporations invest in Argentina’s businesses, making the U.S. the largest foreign investor in Argentina. These investments benefit the United States, as the U.S. is the second largest export destination for goods from Argentina. Argentina’s top exports include soybeans and corn, while top U.S. imports from Argentina include mineral fuel and oil, wine, food and aluminum. In the five years prior to 2016, exports of Argentina increased by more than 2 percent annually. The U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Argentina by importing a greater quantity of those goods.

On top of increased imports, U.S. corporations with business interests in Argentina employ more than 150,000 people across more than 500 companies. Both the United States and Argentina have goals of sustainable and balanced economic growth. To achieve those goals, the countries are working together through the help of U.S. investments and held the first meeting between the two governments on that topic in 2016.

Additionally, United States foreign aid to Argentina will help increase renewable energy technologies. Specific focuses are on changing and optimizing energy markets and integrating renewables into the existing power grid. Working to increase clean energy sources in Argentina will help achieve global goals of reducing harmful carbon emissions, a goal that is beneficial to all people regardless of national identity.

Cooperation between the U.S. and Argentina is vital in achieving global goals for the United States. The U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Argentina by maintaining a relationship that helps people of both countries and grows both economies, which leads to an overall more stable world.

Three key issues were addressed following the implementation of newly-approved efforts for humanitarian aid to Argentina. These issues include the AIDS/HIV epidemic, poor water sanitation and limited housing options.

As of 2016, the World Bank recorded that Argentina, a country located in South America, had a total population of 43.85 million and a national poverty headcount ratio of 30.3 percent. This indicated that 30.3 percent of the population lived in poverty at that time.

Humanitarian Aid to Argentina for HIV/AIDS

In 2014, the nonprofit organization UNAIDS approximated that 110,000 living people suffer from HIV/AIDS in Argentina. Of that number, about 5,400 new infections occurred. There were an estimated 2,300 deaths due to HIV/AIDS in that same year.

Increasing Disease Prevention

Humanitarian aid to Argentina has increased efforts for disease prevention. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation program partners with local hospitals and universities to educate and train health professionals in HIV treatment and services.

According to the World Bank, about 30 percent of those infected with HIV/AIDS are unaware of their condition. Fortunately, Argentina’s National AIDS Law required improved access to healthcare as HIV/AIDS treatment became accessible for free.

In 2016, UNAIDS recorded that the cases of HIV/AIDS-related illness increased to about 120,000 living people, 2,400 HIV/AIDS-related deaths and 5,500 new infections. Despite growth in cases, relief programs like the Aids Healthcare Foundation furthered efforts by operating in five clinics in Argentina.

Improving Water Sanitation

From 1991 to 2015, between 16 to 19 million diarrhea-related illnesses were linked to inadequate access to clean water and water water services. This limited access mainly impacts Argentina’s northern regions which includes Catamarca, Formo and Tucuman, among others.

In March 2017, the World Bank indicated approval of the Belgrano Water Supply and Sanitation Development Project. The project aims to provide humanitarian aid to Argentina by making clean water available to all. It also aims to create “75 percent access to wastewater services for those living in urban areas by the end of 2019.” This will make sanitary water available to 8.2 million people.

Recently Approved Housing Project

A 2017 report by the World Bank indicates a rise in the lack of affordable housing provided by the public. Approximately 18 percent of the population live in informal housing with limited, or lack of, access to clean water and wastewater services. In this informal housing, residents also do not have adequate access to healthcare and schools.

The Integrated Habitat and Housing Project was approved and includes a $200 million commitment until 2022. The project aims to increase formal housing while also improving living conditions for households in selected precarious urban settlements.

Developing projects by both the World Bank and nonprofit organizations delivers humanitarian aid to Argentina, especially in regard to HIV/AIDS prevention, water sanitation and housing conditions. These concerns indicate that poverty takes many forms and still exists today. However, the continued efforts in Argentina are promising in the global mission to alleviate poverty.

The Latin country of Argentina, tucked between Brazil and Chile, has had a long history of improving its infrastructure. In fact, the infrastructure in Argentina is ranked as one of the best among other Latin countries, but still requires many improvements.

In total, the country boasts over 130,000 miles of roads and highways. However, only a little over 39,000 miles of the roads are paved. Additionally, the country has an extensive rail system with almost 24,000 miles of tracks, and 6,800 miles of navigable waterways. Argentina also has 1,300 airports, but only 142 have paved runways.

Despite having a solid infrastructure, the country still has a long road ahead of it. In order to address the problems of unpaved or damaged roads, ports and runways, the government has launched new projects. The government has offered several proposals for 2017 that will address improvements for 94 highways and roads, 62 airports, 27 railways, eight urban transports and five ports.

Many projects have already gone underway thanks to a number of aid packages to improve infrastructure in Argentina. The United States and the World Bank have even pitched in with their respective $7 million and $450 million donations for highway construction.

Beyond improving the quality of life for citizens by completing these projects, the improvements of the infrastructure in Argentina will also be boosting its economy. The main objective of the plans is to kick-start the economy and create more jobs. The long term plan is to boost the country’s competitiveness and lay foundation for an export-led economic strategy.

The first step to bridge the infrastructure gaps in Argentina is to double the investment in the infrastructure sector compared to the levels of recent years, from three percent to six percent of GDP, increasing approximately $13.5 billion a year to $27 billion. The country has already resecured access to international capital markets with a $15 billion bond issue to address these issues.

As the government makes plans to improve infrastructure in Argentina, the rest of the country will see improvements too. Upgrades on roads, waterways, ports and runways will help increase the economy, create new jobs and improve the overall quality of life.

From the second half of 2016 to the first half of 2017, Argentina lowered its poverty rate by 1.7 percent. Though that number may seem small, it represents a significant step forward for a country who has over 30 percent of its citizens living in destitution. What steps did the nation take to reverse years of trends? How can other struggling parts of the globe learn from Argentina?

Market-Friendly PoliciesOne of Argentinian President Mauricio Macri’s goals was to attract foreign financing. From 2003 to 2016, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Argentina averaged at $575 million. But in the second quarter of 2016, the FDI increased to $788 million. This amount represents the highest investment in the country since July 2014.

Steep Currency DevaluationTo combat record inflation, Macri took an unpopular measure. Currency devaluation in 2015 resulted in surging prices and a temporary increase in the country’s poor. Money was now worth less, though this was little comfort to those with little money to start.

All Macri’s program needed was time. Private sector investment and job creation rose in the past year, which led to more consumer spending. Not only has the poverty rate recovered from its drop, but the country now has a solid base of businesses and investments to continue its trends. A healthy economy tends to create lower poverty… though that truism doesn’t always hold.

Not Depending On Businesses AloneDespite the advances made under Macri’s leadership, his government is riddled with issues. His critics claim that Macri’s attempts to court businesses only led to a widening gap between the rich and the poor. Reducing subsidies for electricity and gas led to a 40 percent rise in inflation in 2016.

But in a non-business sense, Macri’s initiatives represent a step forward. In 2013, former President Cristina Kirchner claimed that Argentina lowered its poverty rate to five percent, and refused to back that claim with evidence. The current state of Argentina challenges that dubious claim. More so than any business, the best move Argentina made for its impoverished was to admit it had a problem. For each positive gain spearheaded by Macri, government humility made them all possible.

Erasmo Mema, a political analyst from FTI Consulting, predicted that Argentina’s 2017 economic successes would make or break Macri’s legacy. As of November 2017, the Macri administration appears secure. But Mema warns Argentina that “…any foreign direct investment will have to be buttressed by the government’s commitment to transparency, [and] a sound economic policy…”

While many challenges around the world exist concerning enhancing women’s empowerment and forging a path toward equality, the Argentinian government has been a proactive example. In 1991, Argentina became a pioneer country for women’s political participation. The country established a quota to ensure that 30 percent of all candidates standing for elections are women. Those who fought for the law initially commended the quantitative leap and hoped that it would promote qualitative changes in the future.

Across national and local governments, women face several obstacles to participating in political life. However, women’s leadership in government has been shown to benefit society at large.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has noted that supporting the participation of women in politics is essential for advancing issues of importance to women on national agendas, which in turn benefits both women and men. Ensuring that financial assets are in the hands of women not only promotes women’s economic participation, but also speeds up development, helps overcome poverty, reduces inequalities and improves children’s health and nutrition as well as school attendance. Additionally, keeping girls in school further empowers women’s status in society and politics. Properly addressing these issues has the potential to provide tangible benefits for everyone. With women participating in politics, these topics receive much-needed attention.

The United Nations recognized that quotas, such as the one in place in Argentina, could be a fast track to enhancing women’s representation. These legal quotas are binding for all political parties, and legal sanctions or penalties for non-compliance can be enforced. Unlike voluntary party quotas, sanctions upheld by the law are the most effective to reject political party lists that do not comply with the quota regulations. However, it is important to note that quotas come with limitations. The regulations must work with the already in place electoral system, or they will have little or no effect. Furthermore, these systems only provide women with a chance to stand for election, as they do not guarantee the election of women candidates.

While as of 2016, women held 35.8 percent of the elected seats in the national Lower House, Argentina ranked in sixth place among Latin American nations in terms of female participation in politics and 28th in the world. However, this ranking far surpasses the United Kingdom and the United States, ranked at 48th and 97th respectively.

Though female representation in Argentinian government complies with the 1991 quota law meant to increase women’s empowerment in Argentina, many feel that the country has not made enough progress. A movement launched in part by Amnesty International Argentina, #MujeresALaPolítica (Women to Politics), has been pushing for a law to be approved by National Congress which would dictate that any ballot list for elected office must contain equal percentages of male and female candidates.

Using parity as a tool to ensure the fulfillment of women’s political rights enforces equality, autonomy and collaboration in decision-making processes. Increasing the number of women participating in politics can not only help further the women’s empowerment in Argentina, but it can send a powerful message to the rest of the world.

Argentina is one of three Latin American countries in the G20 and now has a booming tech industry. Though the industry has been on the rise since the 1980s after a major Argentinian recession, growth in recent years can be attributed to a few key factors.

One reason for Argentina’s growing tech hub is President Mauricio Macri’s new market-friendly policies. President Macri has sought to use the tech sector as a source for both new growth and reduced economic reliance on commodities. Though criticized, the policies Macri has introduced have helped the country reopen access to international debt markets and incentivized entrepreneurship. The Macri administration expects that 1.5 percent of GDP will come from the tech sector because of new policies.

The new law, called Ley de Emprendedores, or the Entrepreneur’s Law, replaces a previous law where approval and financing procedures took nearly a year to complete before entrepreneurs could legally launch their companies. The policy also allocates public funding to co-invest with private funding into businesses, by the means of the Fiduciary Fund for the Development of Venture Capital. This legislation is backed by both the Association of Entrepreneurs in Argentina and the Argentina Association of Private Equity, Venture and Seed Capital.

As such, the startup technological field continues to grow with a new generation of companies. These companies include the Y-Combinater backed Bluesmart, satellite startup Satellogic which raised $20 million last year to build imaging satellites and Affluenta, a peer to peer lending platform, which raised $8 million last year.

The stars of Argentina’s growing tech hub are three internet companies located in Buenos Aires that are worth over a billion dollars: MercadoLibre, OLX and Despegar. MercadoLibre is the only internet company from Latin America that is listed on NASDAQ. As the Huffington Post states, “a startup ecosystem is flourishing” in Argentina.